This is a timeline of the Commonwealth of Nations from the Balfour Declaration of 1926. Some regard the Balfour Declaration as the foundation of the modern Commonwealth. __NOTOC__
1920s (from 1926)
Year Date Event 1926 25 October The Balfour Declaration of 1926 establishes the principle of the separate and equal status of the Dominions within the British Empire, "freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth". 1927 12 April The Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 changes the title of the British monarch, to reflect the secession of most of the isle of Ireland from the United Kingdom in 1922 to create the Irish Free State.
1930s
Year Date Event1930 16 August The first British Empire Games, the forerunners of the Commonwealth Games, open in Hamilton, Canada. 1 October seventh Imperial Conference convenes in London. Meeting drafts what becomes the Statute of Westminster 1931. 1931 11 December The Statute of Westminster 1931 is enacted, formalises the Balfour Declaration 1926, with the Parliament of the United Kingdom renouncing legislative power over the dominions. It is adopted by Canada, the Irish Free State, Newfoundland, and the Union of South Africa. Australia and New Zealand decline to adopt it until 1942 and 1947 respectively. 1932 21 July The British Empire Economic Conference in Ottawa, Canada is convened. Policy of Imperial preference adopted. This marks the last participation of the Government of the Irish Free State directly in British Commonwealth affairs. 1934 16 February The self-government of the Dominion of Newfoundland is suspended, replaced by the Commission of Government. Newfoundland ceases to be an independent member of the British Commonwealth, having reverted to being a British colony. 4 August The second British Empire Games open in London, the United Kingdom. 1936 20 January King George V dies, being succeeded by Edward VIII. 10 December King Edward VIII signs the instruments of abdication, effective the next day. 11 December The United Kingdom passes His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936 (which, at the request of those countries' Parliaments, equally applies to Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa), effecting Edward VIII's abdication and succession by George VI. Canada passes the Succession to the Throne Act to the same effect. The Constitution (Amendment No. 27) Act 1936 of the Irish Free State comes into effect, removing reference to the King in the Constitution. 12 December The Irish Free State passes the Executive Authority (External Relations) Act 1936, conferring statutory functions on the British monarch and recognising George VI as Edward VIII's successor, one day after the rest of the British Commonwealth. 1937 14 May to 24 June eighth and final Imperial Conference held in London following the coronation of King George VI; rejects concept of Imperial Federation. 29 December A new Irish constitution is promulgated establishing the state under the name 'Ireland', creating the position of President, and calling into question whether Ireland still formed part of His Majesty's Dominions. 1938 5 February The third British Empire Games open in Sydney, Australia. 1939 1 September Nazi Germany invades Poland, precipitating an ultimatum from the United Kingdom, which was ignored by Germany, leading inexorably to the Second World War. 2 September Irish Taoiseach Éamon de Valera announces his intention to remain neutral in the impending war, regardless of British policy. The government declares the Emergency. 3 September The United Kingdom declares war upon Nazi Germany, beginning the British Empire and the British Commonwealth's involvement in the six-year conflict. The Australian Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 (see below) was backdated to this date. 4 September South Africa's United Party refuses to accept Prime Minister Barry Hertzog's declaration of neutrality in the war, and vote to replace him as party leader and Prime Minister of South Africa with Jan Smuts. 6 September South Africa declares war upon Nazi Germany, becoming the first Dominion to do so independently of the United Kingdom. 9 September Canada declares war upon Nazi Germany.
1940s
Year Date Event 1942 9 October Australia passes the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942, adopting the Statute of Westminster 1931, but back-dating it to 3 September 1939, when the United Kingdom (and therefore Australia) declared war upon Nazi Germany. 1944 1 May The first Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference convenes in London. 1945 4 April A Commonwealth Statesmen's Meeting convenes in London to co-ordinate members' demands and expectations of the impending end of the war. 8 May Nazi Germany surrenders to the Allied Powers, ending the Second World War in Europe. 15 August The Empire of Japan surrenders to the Allied Powers, ending the Second World War. 1946 21 February The British Commonwealth Occupation Force is formed from Australian, British, Indian, and New Zealand occupation forces in Japan. 23 April The second Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference convenes in London. 1947 3 February In response to Canada's passage the previous year of the Canadian Citizenship Act the previous year, a Commonwealth conference on nationality and citizenship is convened. It is agreed to redefine the concept of citizenship in the Commonwealth so that, rather than all those in the British Empire and Commonwealth being British subjects, each Commonwealth state is free to also define its own separate citizenship. As a result, the British Nationality Act 1948 is passed the next year by the British parliament which creates a distinction in that country between British citizens and British subjects; Australia and New Zealand also pass their own citizenship acts. Eventually, the category of British subject develops into that of a Commonwealth citizen whose rights are greater than those of a foreign national but often less than one of a full citizen of the country in question. Ireland had already passed citizenship legislation in 1935 defining its own citizenship laws. 15 August India joins the British Commonwealth upon being granted independence by the United Kingdom. Pakistan (including modern Bangladesh) joins the British Commonwealth following the Partition of India. 21 October India and Pakistan begin the first Indo-Pakistani War, over the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu. It is the first armed conflict between two members of the British Commonwealth, albeit one with King George VI as King of both Dominions. 25 November New Zealand passes the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947. 1948 4 February Dominion of Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka) joins the Commonwealth upon being granted independence by the United Kingdom. 16 June Three European plantation managers are killed in Perak, sparking the Malayan Emergency, leading to deployment of Commonwealth soldiers to Malaya. 11 October The third Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference convenes in London. 31 December India and Pakistan sign a cease-fire, ending the first Indo-Pakistani War. 1949 31 March Newfoundland, a Dominion until 1934, joins Canada as a province. 18 April Ireland ceases to be regarded as a member of the British Commonwealth by the member countries. They took this view on the basis that the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 had come into effect. The legislation ended the statutory role of the British monarchy in Ireland. In contrast, Irish leaders had long regarded Ireland as a republic outside the Commonwealth but associated with it. Until Ireland's declaration of the republic, only Dominions could be members of the British Commonwealth. 22 April The fourth Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference convenes in London. The agenda is dominated by the imminence of India becoming a republic and its future within the Commonwealth. 28 April The Commonwealth Heads of Government issue the London Declaration. It allows India (and, thenceafter, all other members) to remain in the Commonwealth as a republic, creates the position of Head of the Commonwealth, and changes the name of the organisation to the Commonwealth of Nations. The decisions of the 1947 Commonwealth ministerial conference on nationality and citizenship are affirmed which allow states to create their own citizenship rules. Indians are agreed to be recognised as Commonwealth citizens, rather than British subjects, once India becomes a republic.
1950s
Year Date Event 1950 26 January India becomes a republic, being the first republic in the Commonwealth of Nations. 4 February The fourth British Empire Games open in Auckland, New Zealand. These would be the last under that name. 1951 4 January The fifth Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference convenes in London. 28 July The 1st Commonwealth Division is created to amalgamate Australian, British, Canadian, Indian, and New Zealand forces engaged in the Korean War. 1952 6 February King George VI dies, being succeeded as monarch of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, Pakistan and South Africa by Queen Elizabeth II, as well as Head of the Commonwealth. 28 April The British Commonwealth Occupation Force is officially disbanded, having transferred control of Far Eastern forces to British Commonwealth Forces Korea. 20 October Sir Evelyn Baring, Governor of Kenya, declares a state of emergency, recognising the severity of the Mau Mau Uprising. 28 November Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Economic Conference convenes in London to discuss proposals to expand trade within the Commonwealth. 1953 3 June The sixth Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference convenes in London. 1954 30 July The British Empire Games are renamed the 'British Empire and Commonwealth Games', with the opening of the 1954 Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 1955 26 January The seventh Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference convenes in London. 1956 27 June The eighth Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference convenes in London. 1957 6 March Dominion of Ghana, previously the Gold Coast, joins the Commonwealth upon being granted independence by the United Kingdom, becoming the first majority-ruled African member. 26 June The ninth Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference convenes in London. The new Canadian prime minister, John Diefenbaker, proposes the intensification of trade relations within the Commonwealth. His call for an Empire Trade Conference are resisted by the British government which has an eye towards the UK developing stronger trade relations with Europe and the newly formed European Economic Community. However, a Commonwealth Trade and Economic Conference is called for the next year. 31 August The Federation of Malaya joins the Commonwealth upon being granted independence by the United Kingdom. It is the first native monarchy in the Commonwealth except for the Commonwealth realms. 1958 3 January The Federation of the West Indies is formed from the British West Indies as a self-governing colony. 30 July The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games open in Cardiff, the United Kingdom.28 SeptemberThe Commonwealth Trade and Economic Conference concludes with a communique agreeing that the pound sterling should be made fully convertible and that trade barriers within the Commonwealth should be progressively removed.
1960s